


Warrior Before Vangaurd

by PurpleArrowzandLeather



Series: King and Queen of Hearts [1]
Category: Destiny (Video Game)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-29
Updated: 2018-07-07
Packaged: 2018-11-06 13:25:19
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 12,836
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11037075
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PurpleArrowzandLeather/pseuds/PurpleArrowzandLeather
Summary: Cayde-6 before his life in the tower.





	1. Tweaks

**Author's Note:**

> I don't know. I feel like there has to be a back story.

          Cayde honestly doesn't remember a lot of his past. All he really knows is that there's something he's missing from his past, but he can't go back. He's Cayde-6 now, and he's still trying to figure it out. He'd been wandering for a little while, but then he met a guy named Andal Brask.

          "Got somethin' new to show you, kid. It might be a bit overwhelming at first, but you'll get used to it. We aren't crowd people, us Hunters, but you'll get along just fine."

          In all honesty, he didn't find it that scary. He met his best friend Orion on Venus, in the Ishtar Sink. It was pretty, in that taken-over-by-the-Vex way. Orion had held off the Minotaur while Cayde healed. Cayde had shot the Minotaur as it was coming up on Orion's back.

           **Venus, Present Day**

          Orion calls for a little help and he lobs a grenade over at the group of hobgoblins on his left. Cayde throws his knife into a goblin's core and stabs a not-so-stealth vandal in the head as it comes up behind him.

          “HYDRA!!!” Orion shouts.

          Cayde turns and his yellow eyes widen. Cayde lays down fire on it and a blue shield flickers. Cayde cusses loudly and Orion moves. He shoots the gap, jumping onto the Hydra. Cayde turns and holds off the smaller Vex until a creaking sound causes him to turn around again.

          “Cayde, move it!” Orion shouts.

          Cayde is stuck in place. The Hydra is tipping over straight towards him. Orion is on top of it, screaming at him to move. At the last second, arms wrap around him and pull him back. The Hydra crashes to the ground as Cayde and his rescuer tumble the the marshy floor.

          “What was that, Guardian?!” she asks.

          Dang it. Ikora.

          Orion runs over. “Is he okay?”

          “He'll live.” Ikora snaps.

          Orion's expression hardens. Cayde pushes her away. _Why did it have to be Ikora of all people?_

          Cayde grouses out a thank you and moves back to Orion's side. He straightens his cloak and marches off into the caves. Orion nods at Ikora in respect and follows after him. Ikora watches them go before deciding that she'll follow them for a little bit. Just in case.

          Orion catches up to Cayde, calling his name. Cayde keeps moving. He stabs the first Dreg that pops out of the mouth of the cave. He shoots the accompanying Vandal in the head and throws his knife at a Shank. His pulse rifle smokes hotly as he fires around into all the enemies he can see.

          Orion decides he won't be ignored. “Cayde, stop!” he calls, hoping for a response. “I'm sorry for this, Cayde.”  
Cayde turns just as Orion fires into his shoulder. Cayde staggers to the side and looks up at Orion. He pauses as his armor heals up.

          “You shot me?” Cayde asks.

          “How else was I supposed to get your attention? You would have ignored me until everything was dead. And then you'd keep going. Pull yourself together, Cayde.”

          “Why did it have to be her? She already thinks I'm dumb as a box of rocks! Now she probably thinks that I have a death wish.”

          “Doubtful.” Orion mutters.

          “I just don't get why she hates me so much.”

          “She doesn't hate you.”

          “Really? Because it sure feels that way.” Cayde answers, sitting down on a rock.

          “Your irresponsibility for any of your actions makes it hard, Cayde.” Orion sympathizes.

          Cayde pauses. “You AGREE with her?!”

          “I'm just saying that in some cases, she's right. You're reckless.”

          Cayde looks at him, his Exo eyes widening. Cayde is surprised. He's never thought about it before. As long as no one permanently died, he'd always seen himself as safe. He blinks.

          Cayde still isn't convinced. He gets up and walks further into the cave, closer to the center of Vex activity. Orion rolls his eyes under his mask and follows him.

          “You're being difficult, Cayde.” Orion mutters.

          He can hear Cayde's equivalent to a sigh further along and picks up his pace. Orion hears something and he yells to Cayde that he'll catch up.

          Orion stops and waits. He turns to face the way they came and crosses his arms. Muted footsteps reach his ears until their stalker comes around the corner.

          “So, you're following us now?” Orion snaps.

          Ikora has the courtesy to look scolded.

          “Why?”

          “I'm watching out for you.”

          “Me? Or is it Cayde? Who told you to keep and eye on us?”

          “It was my choice.” Ikora growls back.

          Orion considers briefly. “I don't believe you. What are you trying to pull? Are you trying to discredit Cayde?”

          “I'm not trying to do anything. I want to help.”

          “You expect me to believe that? All you do is insult Cayde, and trample over me. He thinks you hate him.”

          “I don't hate Cayde.” she frowns.

          “Then prove it. Tell me the truth.” Orion answers.

          “I want to make sure he doesn't get himself killed.”

          Orion takes his helmet off and frowns. “He has a ghost for exactly that reason. And besides, he's never gotten anyone killed. He hasn't died for quite some time.”

          “It'll come.” Ikora growls.

          “So you're waiting for him to fail?” Orion scoffs.

          “I...”

          “No, shut up! I don't care what you have to say. Who do you think you are?”

          “I want to help.” Ikora says, taking off her helmet too.

          Orion sighs, as the look on her face is genuine. “Fine. But if Cayde doesn't agree to this, you go back to the Tower.”

          Ikora nods, putting her helmet back on.

          Shouts of pain down the tunnel have Orion on the run. He's pushing his helmet back on and readying his weapon at the same time. Ikora is on his heels, her gun pointed out.

          Orion's eyes widen as they reach the main cave. Cayde is trapped between two Captains, limping along with them. He tries to drag his feet, but another Captain at his back pushes him forwards.

          “Duck!” Orion shouts.

          Cayde pulls downwards from their grip and gains his feet. Orion pulls his heavy machine gun and mows down the small guys, sweeping the room to the big guys. Cayde shouts for help as he's blasted in the side. Orion runs to his side as Ikora floats above them, shooting everything she can see. She drops next to them and throws a grenade into a group of Vandals. Cayde heals up and checks his clip.

          “Out.”

          He pulls his secondary, a sidearm, and fires quickly into dregs playing hide-and-seek. He throws his knife.

          “Finally!” Cayde shouts.

          He jumps into the air and pulls out his Night Stalker bow. He tethers a couple of Captains and looses an energy ball their way. His grenade explodes, sending shrapnel towards them. Cayde ducks and throws another knife at a Shank.

          Orion puts up a protective bubble and runs out, ducking into cover. Cayde stabs a Captain and picks up an ammo cartridge. He loads his primary and is about to fire when another blast hits him in the shoulder, then the back.

          His leg is swept out from underneath him by a Stealth Vandal and it slashes at Cayde's armor. Cayde blasts him with his pulse rifle and gasps as a Minotaur towers above him.

          He throws his knife and the beast staggers. Oil drips into his eye and he swipes at it. The Minotaur is about to shoot him when it freezes. The head explodes and Orion stands behind it.

          “What are you waiting for? Let's go!” Orion offers him a hand and Cayde takes it.

          Ikora walks up to them, panting. “That was fun.”

          Cayde is in the middle of scoffing when Orion nudges him and it turns into a fake cough.

          “Thanks, I guess.” Cayde murmurs.

          “I apologize.”

          “For?” Cayde asks, his tone bitter.

          “For not trusting you.” She amends.

          Cayde makes a little surprised sound in his voice box and shrugs. “Common misconception.”

          They are about to leave when an Archon, a Vex Minotaur, lumbers into the cave. Cayde pulls his weapons, but he's too late. The void weapon tears through his armor and out the back of his cloak. The gurgling liquids in his chest aren't very promising, but he can hear the smaller things threading back together in a small effort to keep him alive.

          “CAYDE!!!!” Orion shouts.

          Cayde stumbles to the ground and his Exo eyes widen in fear. He points at the Archon and nods.

          “Go!” he slurs.

          Orion shakes his head. “Ikora will handle it.”

          Cayde is struggling to keep his systems up while Orion pulls his inner workings back together. Cayde's warning alarms are going off in all of his circuits and he sighs in relief as they stop. One by one. Orion has practiced for it, for exactly this reason.

          Cayde feels power surge back through his limbs and he gets up, waiting for his armor to heal. He fires at the Archon as he heals, jumping up on top of an old power core. Ikora nova bombs the Minotaur and it sucks the life straight out of it.

          Cayde sits down, letting one leg hang over the edge of the core. Ikora takes her helmet off and smiles, her black hair swaying on her shoulders. If Cayde was a lesser man, he'd be drooling by now, but Ikora isn't that great.

          Cayde jumps down, forgetting about his severed 'tendon' in his knee and crashes rather ungracefully to the ground.

          “Cayde?” Orion asks.

          “I'm good. Just, a severed cord in my leg.”

          “Right, because that's minor.” Orion huffs.


	2. Prophecy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They are way, way to amused to be in this line of work.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I got bored after updating everything, so I figured it was time to do this.

          Orion helps Cayde limp through the caverns until his leg mends, and Ikora hovers slightly behind them. He blinks his Exo eyes and glances around the place. Banners from old Kells litter the walls, and an old Vandal sits at the side of the throne in the center. 

          He speaks slowly, in English, which is shocking enough to keep Cayde from attacking. "There will not... be another... Kell... for six-hundred years. This.. self-proclaimed Kell of Kells, will die at the hands of a guardian, not of a Vangaurd."

          "What are you talking about?" Cayde says. "There's no such thing as the Kell of Kells." 

          The Vandal tilts his head. "Not... for you, there isn't."

          "Sure, sure." Cayde scoffs. "I don't suppose I should look for space cowboys next, huh?"

          "That knowledge is out of your reach."

          Orion speaks up. "Ancient Vandal, might we seek your wisdom?"

          "Come on, Orion. This old coot is spouting nonsense." he gestures a hand towards it.

          "Cayde, be patient." he turns back to the Vandal. "He means no disrespect..."

          "No?" the Vandal stands. "Sarcasm... may not be a reach that any young Vandal... would make, but when you live to be as old as I, sassy guardians speak with tongues of iron."

          Cayde's mechanical jaw grinds as it drops. "Did you just say 'sassy'?"

          The Vandal growls. "Your language.... is not lost on us, cretin. We fight this... 'Darkness' as much as you do, for it threatens our homes. Every planet... is not yours for the... taking!"

          "Who said we wanted to kill you?  _You_ fight  _us_." Cayde growls.

          The Vandal stands and slams the end of his spear on the floor. "I will not... sit by and let a Vangaurd tell  _me_ who... is wrong."

          "There's no Vangaurd in this room." Ikora answers. 

          "That is where... you are wrong." The Vandal snarls, disappearing in a shimmer of light. 

          Cayde looks at Orion. "The Vangaurd are a myth, aren't they?"

          "The Speaker tells us little, and only in bits and pieces. But there are... rumors of and Old Guard who used to watch over the Traveler when it first arrived."

          Cayde growls and throws a grenade at the wall. "There's NO ONE here!!"

          The grenade scatters and the separate bombs create a frame charge on the wall, breaking it down. Blue light shimmers out of the tunnel and Cayde stands up straight. "What is that?" 

          The curious Exo moves his cloak and walks towards the tunnel. 

          "That is a horrible idea." Orion hisses. "Get back here. We don't know what's in there."

          "That's what we're here for, isn't it? To explore?" Cayde insists. 

          "We don't need to get killed."

          Cayde grumbles and continues towards it. "Please. What could possibly go wrong?"

          Orion grabs his cloak and drags him back over to Ikora. "After you say  _that?_ Everything."

          "You can't stop me, Orion!" Cayde answers.

          Orion growls and Ikora stands by helplessly. "Fine then! Go! Get yourself hurt, or worse, killed!" Orion snaps.

          Cayde's eyes narrow and he stalks off towards the hole in the wall. "You come or you don't." he waves a hand at them. "Your choice."

          Orion watches him disappear before sighing. "Why does he have to be so stubborn?"

          Ikora shakes her head. "I thought you were making sure he didn't get hurt."

          "I'm his friend, Ikora, not his keeper. If Cayde rushes into something, there's no stopping him."

          "Should we go after him?"

          Orion takes a heavy breath and nods. "Knowing Cayde, he's sulking and walking, so he's got a bit of distance on me."

          "On you? Don't you mean 'us'?"

          "No. I mean me. You're staying here." Orion moves away from her and Ikora stands speechless. 

          When Orion reaches the mouth of the cave, he's surprised to see the remains of smoldering cobwebs. He didn't shoot his guns or anything. It looks like Cayde just walked right through.

          "Cayde?" Orion calls. "Cayde!"

          There's a warm orange glow moving down the cave and Orion huffed. He always does that when he's angry. 

          "Cayde, I'm sorry, okay?"

          Orion trips over a loose root and nearly falls on his face, but a hand catches him. "Fine. Apology accepted."

          Orion looks at the Exo in quiet relief and follows him further into the cavern. He hopes Ikora stayed like he asked her to. Orion sadly doubts it.


	3. Evil plant Thing

          Cayde and Orion walk until they reach the end of the cavern. 

          "That can't be right. There wouldn't be a hidden tunnel if it only lead here." Cayde makes a frustrated noise and looks around. "Ghost, do a scan."

          His ghost floats out into the space and Cayde narrows his gold eyes. "It's a false wall! Just walk through."

          Cayde does exactly that and walks through. He hears an an impact behind hims and turns. Orion is picking himself off the floor, looking stunned. 

          "There must be some kind of grid. You've gotta shut it down for me to get through."

          Cayde shrugs, thinking of the strange restrictions of the magical door. He moves into an open cavern and stops so quickly he falls backwards. Dead guardians are everywhere. Some hang from the ceiling, while others are immersed in the walls. 

          "Scan for life signs." Cayde orders, his voice box cracking. 

          "There, on the far wall."

          Cayde walks on the slightly mushy ground over to the guardian trapped in the wall. "Who is it?" 

          Cayde traces the design that is seemingly etched into the Exo's yellow and orange head. The sensors in his hand read a surge of heat across the surface and Cayde's Ghost shouts a warning.

          "Don't touch it! It's infected him and it's been feeding off of his light for years. It felt yours." The ghost scans him. "It's a miracle he's survived this long."

          "How- how long has he been here?" Cayde asks, his oil bubbling into his throat. 

          "Close to 10 years."

          "Is he going to die?"

          "Trapped the way he is, he'll end up like the others in this room, and it won't be long. Where's his ghost?"

          Cayde looks around as his Ghost scans the place again. Cayde jumps away from the wall as the Exo twists in a weak effort at escape. An undignified yelp is the least of his worries at the Exo opens his eyes. Looking over his form, Cayde sees the edge of a hunter's cloak. 

          Cayde watches in shocked horror as oil drizzles from his mouth and his jaw grinds. "Ki-" he swallows. "Kill it."

          "How?"

          "V-Vine" he coughs, black goo puffing out of his mouth. "Poisonous."

          The pink skin of the wall wraps tighter around the Exo and he emits a gurgling sound, twisting again. 

          "Cayde, we've got to go. This room senses you."

          "We can't leave him here!" 

          The Exo in the wall doesn't say anything, but Cayde could almost swear that he can feel his desperation. 

          "Cayde, he's dying...."

          "I don't care! He's survived this long, what's a few more minutes?"

          His ghost is silent for a moment before disappearing to who knows where. Cayde wishes he could do something, anything, as it seems to engulf his head for a few seconds. There's a sound that seems to come from the walls, a shriek of sorts and the Exo's head pulls back through the gross skin. 

          "How'd you do that?" 

          He seems to laugh slightly. "Grenade."

           _His sides must be shredded beneath all that skin. He'll need some major repairs._

          "I found it!" 

          Cayde startles at his ghost's exclamation, but chases after it as he speeds down a nearly invisible pathway. There's a weird glow coming from the walls that Cayde realizes is a build-up of Light. The pink stuff must be smart not to come down this hallway and feed all in one go. It would overindulge if it did. 

          His Ghost scans the barren wall.

          "There's nothing here." Cayde growls. 

          "The thing on the walls would have destroyed it if it knew where it was. Just brush your hand down the surface. It's there."

          Cayde does as his ghost says and finds his sensors covered in spores and leaves. It's scent is nearly overpowering once it's disturbed and Cayde shuts off his nose. 

          Grabbing as much as he can, Cayde uses his cloak to hold it and rushes back into the gross room. Cayde reaches into his sack of goodies and tosses about the vines like candy to children. The pink skin around him starts to shrivel up and dry out. Dead guardians start to drop from the walls and the pink stuff starts crumbling into dust. It gets all the way around the room and Cayde averts his gaze for a second as three bodies drop from the ceiling. Cayde throws some on the Exo's head and he sneezes. 

          "Sorry." 

          He the room is suddenly clean and the Exo drops to the ground, he legs giving out from under him. Cayde kneels next to him, but he puts out a hand. 

          "Wait."

          He makes a grab for Cayde's bag and shoves them down his throat. Cayde blinks and waits for a few seconds. He starts to cough up dust and pink slop drops to the floor. The Exo rolls onto his side and grips tight. Cayde watches the pool of sticky black fluid expand for a shocked second before helping patch him up. 

          "What do I call you?" Cayde asks. 

          "They- they called me Shiro-4. Shiro will do."

          " _Shiro_? As in-."

          "Not anymore." he whispers. "I can't be that anymore."

          "How did you get in here? There's a fake wall...."

          "Heh, good a question as any. I was a servant of the Vanguard."

          "They were real?!"

          He laughs. "Of course they were real. Guardians don't tell legends for fun."

          "Where are they?"

          Shiro sighs, a rattle in his voice box. "They passed their Light on. Probably long dead."

          "There has to be someone." Cayde says, wonder in his tone.

          "If you can count what little Light I have left." Shiro grumbles. "My question, is how did you get in here? This was a room sealed by the Vanguard so that thing would never get out."

          "No idea. My friend Orion couldn't get in."

          "Orion, huh?"

          "Yeah. Don't know why he's got such a great name. Guy's a geek."

          "What's _your_ name?"

          "Oh, right. I'm Cayde. Cayde-6."

          "Cayde?" he repeats quietly. "Thank you."

          "Can you stand?" Cayde asks, his eyes looking over the shredded armor and support systems leftover from all the grenades. 

          "Heh, never know until you try, I guess."

          Cayde puts out a hand for him to grab onto and almost topples as the Exo pulls hard. "Whoa. Still got a little strength."

          Cayde can feel a lot of Shiro's weight resting on his shoulder, but he can't bring himself to care. Just as he turns towards the exit, Ikora shows up. 

          "Cayde." she greets, her tone full of warmth. "You're okay." she glances at Shiro. "Who's your new friend?"

          "This is Shiro."

          "Shiro." she puts out a very formal hand. "My name is Ikora. It's a pleasure."

          Cayde sees her eyes look around and turn horrified. Looking at Shiro, she tilts her head. 

          "We didn't do this." Cayde growls, defensive. 

          She looks offended that Cayde would ever assume she'd blame them, but Cayde holds his ground. 

          "Then who did?" she says coldly.

          "Well, it's not alive anymore.... I killed it, with some invisible plants."

          She glowers at him. "Anyone for the truth?"

          "He's telling it." Shiro hisses. "And if it-" he groans. Even as an Exo, they still feel pain like anyone else. "If it wasn't for Cayde, I'd be dead."

          She narrows her eyes at Shiro. "Where's your ghost, Guardian?"

          Cayde can feel Shiro sink a little bit. "They were the first to die."

          His jaw grinds as he clenches it and looks away.

          Cayde stares imploringly at Ikora. She raises her head with remorse on her face. "It looks like you could do with a little fixing up."

          Shiro looks at her in astonishment. "Thank-"

          "Don't thank me yet. The Speaker would still want to pass judgement on you."

          Cayde can feel his core heat up. "Who do you think you are?! You are not some princess riding over the peasants of a blight-covered sea! Stop acting like it! You're worse than Eris!"

          Her mouth straightens and her eyebrows lower dangerously. "Do not assume you know me, Cayde." he eyes flash with fury and she stalks out of the cavern.

          Cayde helps Shiro limp along and Cayde looks at him, concerned. 

          "You didn't have to defend me." 

          "Please. She deserved it. She doesn't even know you."

          "Do you?"

          "No. But I think I'd like to."

          "Why?" he says bitterly. "I'm barely a Guardian anymore, let alone a Vanguard."

          Cayde is shocked at him. "What do you mean? You still have Light."

          "Not enough to do any good. If I walk into a fight with anything, I won't come back."

          "The Traveler could help you." Cayde suggests. 

          "You think the Traveler tosses out it's blessing willy-nilly? No. It doesn't bless things twice."

          "You don't know that." 

          Shiro sighs and stays silent for a few seconds. "I'm not going to fight with you on this, Cayde. I'll meet your 'Speaker' and then I'll be gone."

          Cayde works his jaw and nearly trips when the ground changes beneath his feet as they pass through the false wall. 

          Orion stands up, Ikora at his side facing away from them. Wrapping a helpful hand under Shiro's other arm, they help him limp out. He looks around the place when they move out of the tunnel and chuckles. "This place hasn't changed. Except the cranky old Vandal is gone."

          "Wait, you know that guy?"

          "Yeah. He's- he's a little different. He warned us not to go in, but he never tried to stop us. He was right, though."

          "Well, we made him mad and he disappeared, so...."

          "As if he wasn't friendly enough before."

          Orion smiles as Cayde does and shakes his head. "He's gone now, so that's not an issue."

          Shiro stumbles and little pieces of metal skitter across the floor. "Ah!" he staggers to one foot, but the other hovers above the ground. "My, my Light can't hold me together."

          Orion stoops to pick up the pieces and Shiro hangs his head. Ikora disappears around a corner up ahead and Cayde growls at her back.  _Pompous drama queen._  

          Cayde gets an idea and nudges Orion. "Get out your ghost. We'll just bug out of here."

          "Cayde, we can't leave Ikora by herself."

          "Why not? There are other Guardians around. And if she can't handle herself she may as well go back to Earth. She's a big girl."

          Orion looks at Cayde and then to Shiro. "All right."

          Cayde nods and settles Shiro on the floor for a brief second, giving him his cloak. 

          "I can't take that. It's yours." 

          "It'll let you hide your face, if you don't want people to see who it belongs to. Besides, orange and yellow are more your colors than mine."

          "You could get different colors." he answers, chuckling and taking it.

          "I have others." 

          Orion laughs. "No kidding. He's got them all arranged in color order on the ship."

          "All right, all right. I'm putting it on."

          Cayde is about to respond when he shimmers into a pillar of light. Once he's in his ship, he shakes his head and looks for Orion. He and Shiro appear at the same time and Shiro stumbles to a bench. Orion hands him the pieces of his leg and Shiro looks at them for a few moments before subtly shaking his head. Shiro looks around Cayde's ship in slight wonder. Or maybe amusement at the colorful swirls on the ceiling. 

          "Nice ship."

          "Thanks, it's been my fair lady almost since day one." Cayde waves a hand and goes up to the cockpit. "Strap in, Shiro! If we're going to get to the Tower before Ikora, we'll need to hurry. Her ship is one of the fastest in the 'verse, so we'll need to get a fair head start."

          Listening to Orion strap him in, Cayde powers up the engines and pulls out of orbit. Someone takes a tumble in the back and Cayde winces as Orion shouts at him. 

          Shiro is laughing. 

          "Cayde! You're lucky I even got Shiro strapped in!"

          "I even warned you!" Cayde shoots back, huffing. 

          Plopping heavily into the seat next to Cayde, Orion rolls his eyes. "Not any  _advanced_ warning."

          Cayde flips a few switches and sniffs indignantly. "You know, I'm starting to get the feeling that you don't appreciate me. All you do is whine, whine, whine."

          "That's because all you do is test my patience."

          Cayde sighs and glances back at Shiro, who is staring at the discarded parts on the floor. Cayde looks to Orion and gives him the controls. Orion just nods at him and Cayde heads back. 

          Shiro looks up at him with cloudy eyes. Their color returns and Shiro tilts his head. 

          "You okay?"

          "As I'll ever be, I guess. I-" he hesitates and speaks quietly. "I can't feel it anymore."

          "My Light. I think, I think that last grenade used up any that was left for me to use."

          Cayde sits next to him on the bench. "If you hadn't done that, you might never have gotten out."

          "I just feel so useless. And.... empty."

          "You know there's still some left, right?"

          Shiro shrugs and looks to the back of the ship. "Like I said before. Not enough to make any difference."

          Cayde's jaw drops. "Unbelievable. You went through years, trapped, and you finally get out and you're ready to give up? What's wrong with you?"

          Shiro turns and looks at Cayde. "What's  _wrong_ with me? What's  _wrong_ with me is exactly that! I spent too long, wasting away! No matter how many grenades, or blades that I threw or stuck that thing with, I still couldn't get out. For the last ten years, and I couldn't do a thing. I couldn't- I-"

          Cayde feels a spark of regret for his wording and tries to find something to say. "I shouldn't have said that."

          "Just leave it be, Cayde." he answers quietly.

          Orion brings the ship over the Tower and lets Cayde take Shiro down with him. He claims to have other matters to attend to. Cayde can feel the many pairs of eyes on his back as he helps Shiro walk towards the Speaker's loft. 

           _That guardian isn't healing. Is he even a guardian? Who is that? He's wearing Cayde's cloak._

          Cayde tries not to growl at the speculation around him and pulls Shiro a little more urgently along. The Exo doesn't complain, just picks up the pace of his hobble. 

          The trip there seems to take forever, but the Speaker turns when Cayde comes up the steps with Shiro. "Yes?" he takes a sharp breath. " _Shiro._ "

          Cayde looks at Shiro and the Exo narrows his eyes. "Who are you?"

          "I am the Speaker." he answers. "The Traveler has been waiting for you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know Cayde's eyes are the wrong color. It's for a good reason. Also, I know meeting Shiro seems premature, but I have a plan for him.


	4. Hunting

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the wait, you guys! I pulled a genius move and started another story just as this one was taking off and got a smidge distracted. Then I started a second one and managed to work them both at the same time, but ended up ignoring this one. So again, sorry for the wait, but I hope you enjoy it. :)

          "Waiting for me?" Shiro growls.

          "The Traveler told me you were coming."

          "Did it also tell you that while you were-"

          "Shiro!" Cayde hisses. "Calm down."

          He spares a glance behind him. He doesn't see anyone, but he can sense other Hunters hidden nearby. He tries to deter them with a stealthy grenade, but they don't move. The Speaker hums. 

          "If our audience would give a few moments to talk in private, it would be more agreeable." his voice carries outside the observatory.

          The presences disappear. 

          "Cayde, find him a place to settle for a bit." the Speaker says softly.

          The railing seems a good enough perch, and Shiro doesn't make any objections. 

          "So, Speaker, what all did the Traveler say?"

          "Just that you were coming here, and that you had been found deep in the caves of Venus."

          "I'm surprised it didn't tell you to leave me down there, just like it left all of my friends down there to die. To have the Light and life sucked out of them. The Traveler gave up on the Vanguard,  _Speaker._ "

          "That's not tr-"

          "Don't tell me it's not true! I was right there watching them all die and there was nothing I could do about it! The Traveler could have done something, but it let the Vanguard fade into a myth! Your Ghost said maybe ten years, Cayde? Try a hundred. If it had sucked them dry that quickly, it wouldn't have a nice life source for a long while."

          "Shiro-"

          "Cayde, I know you mean well, but there's something you don't understand about the Traveler. It brings life and light to everything it touches, but when those with its blessing are helpless, it'll leave them behind. It'll leave you behind as sure as a turn in the worlds."

          Cayde stiffens. He doesn't object, but he sees the Speaker gearing up to raise his voice. He doesn't. Instead, he squares his shoulders and clasps his hands. 

          "Find him a room, and take him down to Amanda for new parts."

          Shiro swears under his breath. "Look, I am not staying here. I'll take the parts, then I'm gone. I'm not staying in this Tower to worship the big glowing crystal ball."

          "Fine. Have it your way,  _faithless._ "

          Cayde's jaw drops as the harsh dismissal, but he helps Shiro up at the Speaker's request. Shiro scoffs. Cayde had known he harbored resentment, but not at that level. Especially since he was able to get the Speaker riled up. But Cayde had no idea that it went as far as  _that._

          "Do you really believe that? That the Traveler left you?"

          Shiro stumbles, barely finding his feet. "What do you think?" he growls. 

          "I think-" Cayde sighs. ''I think you aren't in the right mindset to process any of what's happened today. My buddy Orion thinks I'm an introvert, and that I need to get out more, but the truth is that I take time to think. You might need that time yourself to get your head on straight."

          "Kid, you're naive."

          "One, I'm probably older than you, so not a kid, and two, I'm not naive. You're not the only one in the 'verse with problems."

          "Do you know anyone else with  _this_ problem, Cayde? And what do you mean, 'probably older than you'? Don't you know?"

          "I know that my power core dates back to before the Collapse, and that it's never been replaced. This may only be my sixth life, but my other five lasted me a long time." Cayde shrugs stiffly. "And I know that I remember what the Darkness during the Collapse felt like. It's better I don't remember anything else."

          "Well, I definitely don't remember my first three lives, but that's never bothered me. I don't need to remember them."

          "There's just something about them that I can't shake."

          Cayde goes silent and Shiro hums in acknowledgement. Cayde gently helps him down the stairs into the Hangar, ignoring noodle-face Zur in the corner. 

          "Hey, Amanda?"

          There's a clang of metal and the blonde turns towards them. "Heya, Caydie! What'd ya' break this time? Oh, hey there, hotshot."

          Shiro makes a small pained noise and Cayde shifts under his arm. 

          "Light not workin', fella?"

          "No."

          "Well, come on, hotshot. Sit up on the table. I'll get you all fixed up and ready to go in a couple hours."

          Shiro doesn't move. He's too busy staring at Amanda. Cayde kicks him gently. 

          "Right, thanks, I guess."

          "You guess?" Amanda laughs. "Hunters. No manners, am I right, Caydie?"

          "Whatever you say, Holiday."

          "Mmm-hmm." she removes the ruined armor from his legs and taps at the one. "This might sting a bit, hotshot."

          Shiro shrugs. "What's a hotshot?"

          "Well, I'll be a 'possum. You are dense, fella."

          Cayde hums. "He hasn't been back in the 'verse for awhile."

          "I can see that." she takes that moment to pop his right leg clean off. 

          Shiro grips the edge of the table, but otherwise seems unaffected. She gives him another once-over and taps her nails on the table. 

          "I'm gonna need your left arm too, hotshot."

          Shiro barks out a sharp, bitter laugh. "What's left of it."

          Amanda only balks at the sound for a second, recovering and taking his arm in one smooth motion. "So, you'll need a couple says to walk around, and acttually, probably all new limbs, and get used to the new parts-"

          "Too bad, really. I'm out of here as soon as they're in."

          Amanada hums. "So, what's your name? Never did catch it."

          "Shiro."

          She pauses. "Shiro, like-"

          "No!" Shiro says, a little too quickly. "Not like him at all."

          Cayde rolls his eyes, patting Shiro's back. Nothing rattles out of him, so he takes that as a good sign.

          "Okay, Shiro, not-Shiro. You figure out who you are and I'll come right back." Cayde smirks, walking away.

          Cayde hears him mutter to Amanda after his back is turned. "It's not 'like' that Shiro at all. It  _is_. I mean, I am."

          "Well, there you go. So, how'd you get yourself into this mess?"

          Cayde doesn't stick around to see how their conversation goes. Instead climbing up the rafters to get to his bunk. He'd never taken up a room in the tower. He never thought he'd need it. He wishes Andal were still here. He disappeared a couple of weeks ago, but he'd know what to do. He always seemed to. He'd served as the sort-of mentor for Hunters around here for years. Not quite Vanguard, but close enough.

          He groans, trying to cycle down without his Ghost's help. "What am I going to do with this guy?"

          Finally, he rolls over, drifting off into data bits, trying not to delve too far into things he can't fully remember. 

          "Cayde. Wake up."

          He ignores the small voice.

          "Cayde!" They say, nudging his shoulder.

          He groans, cycling up his systems. "Wash?"

          "We've got a little problem, Cayde."

          "Such as?"

          "Shiro left in the middle of the night. Amanda tried to get him to cycle down after his new parts were put in, but he wouldn't, and now he's gone."

          Cayde shifts onto his side, crawling down from the rafters, still a bit tired. Amanda greets him as he lands on her work table with a soft metal clink. He still thinks the Light muffling sound is pretty awesome.

          "How's it goin, Caydie?"

          "Looking for Shiro. Wash told me he was gone."

          "Your Ghost is an early riser. I'm not surprised he knew. I tracked him to the edge of the hanger, but I didn't feel any need to chase him down."

          "I'll follow him at a distance. Make sure he doesn't get into any trouble."

          "That's probably a good idea. Just be careful, Caydie."

          "I know."

          Amanda wishes him luck and Cayde makes his way toward the docking bay. He crouches on the edge.

          "Well, Wash, what do you think? He wouldn't have jumped. I don't think he's crazy."

          "I do not know."

          Cayde runs his hand along the wall under his feet. About halfway along, he finds a ridge. He pulls his knife, pushing it into the slot.

          "Determined, aren't you?" Cayde says quietly, looking out over the Cosmodrome.

          He starts his climb down the wall, making sure Shiro didn't pull anything to throw them off it they tried to follow him. Sure enough, the path diverts from straight towards the ground to twenty yards to the left. He finished the climb from that point.

          Cayde huffs. "That's quite the climb for a guy with unfamiliar limbs. Check for heat signatures, would you? He'd have been running pretty warm."

          "That was hours ago, Cayde. The trail will be pretty dispersed."

          "Not in this fog. The cloud cover may have already gapped over, but the heat trail will still be there."

          "Whatever you say."

          Cayde crouches down over a small flattened patch of grass. "He rested for a bit."

          "At least he was smart about it."

          "Fairly certain he's smarter than a lot of the people at the Tower." Cayde mutters, a little distracted. He presses his fingertips to a small patch of grass. His sensors pick up a spot of heat pulling towards him from inside the plant.

          "You like Light, little grass?"

          "He went this way!"

          Cayde pricks, crawling along at a crouch. He notes the heaviness of Shiro's steps, ignoring a prick of worry.

          "He's not moving very fast, but he could easily have a few miles on us." Wash chirps.

          "Keep the trail marked on my scanners. I'll close the gap a bit with my sparrow. Warn me when the readings get hotter."

          "Will do."

          He rides for a good ten minutes before Wash tells him to stop. He hops off his sparrow, still in a crouch. 

          "If I were him, where would I hide?" Cayde whispers, mostly to himself.

          "The buildings around here are masking any heat readings. We'll have to do a little looking."

          Cayde glances around the circle of collapsing structures. There are some that are more sound than others, but no Hunter in his right might would ever hide in a stable building. Naturally, that means Cayde picks the scariest-looking one to search first. There are a couple of fresh tracks, but nothing indicates that he stayed there.

          Cayde flattens to the ground as he hears something coming. Creeping back to the door, he peers out, wrapping his cloak around his body. His eyes dim as he sees the Fallen wandering around, scavenging for parts. He catches a glimpse of something across the way on top of the sturdy building. He's about to jump out at a dreg when a Warlock flies over his head. He could almost swear she's holding a sword that's on fire, but a huge explosion blinds him.

          When he can finally see agaim, the Warlock is gone and the patrol is dead. He lets solar energy swirl into his palm. There was no way that that was a Hunter, but he's never seen a sword like that anywhere else. Andal had something like that once, but not that powerful.

          He shakes himself out of his quiet reverie, getting back on task. He still doesn't see Shiro, but he has a hunch that he was around here recently enough to pick up his trail. He climbs to the top of the big building. He spots a piece of faded orange fabric flipping in the wind and catches it before it can be carried off.

          "Yep. Shiro was here, Wash." Cayde looks around, not seeing anything else. "Where are you going, buddy?"

          "The explosion wiped out any heating readings, Cayde."

          "That's fine." Cayde says, kneeling down next to a score mark on the rooftop. "I'll track him myself." He leaps to the ground on the other side, picking up the remnants of Shiro's tracks. "He's getting faster. There's less signs of him now."

          "Well, let's go home."

          "Wash, I said there's  _less_ signs, not none. I'm going after him."

          Wash sighs heavily, floating over to Cayde's side. The small Ghost hums as they walk, bored. Cayde makes his way through the brush, following the dwindling amount of markers on the ground. His steps take a twist and then disappear. Cayde pauses. He muffles a swear as he realizes that Shiro managed to get into the trees. Still, he grabs onto a branch and follows. He looks around, not seeing much. He settles into the crook of two branches, listening for anything out of the ordinary. 

          "Shiro, you're gonna get yourself into trouble out here." he mutters.

          "Is that so?"

          Cayde jumps, nearly falling out of the tree. "Shiro! I've been looking for you for like an hour!"

          "I'm aware." he chuckles, settling smoothly onto a branch right next to him. "Gotta say, you're persistent."

          "Part of my charm." Cayde huffs.

          "Yeah.... right. So, why'd you follow me?"

          "Figured you could use the company."

          "Worried I'm gonna get myself killed?" Shiro says sourly, rubbing a small etching on his left wrist.

          "Wait, didn't Amanda give you all new limbs? Where's that from?"

          "Well, she did. Give me all new limbs, I mean, but she copied any marks that she could make out clearly onto my new ones. Her attention to detail is impressive. She certainly didn't miss much."

          "Uh-huh. I'm sure she didn't." Cayde laughs.

          He clears his throat, rubbing his thumb along the etching again. "This is a remembrance from three lives ago."

          "For whom?"

          "Quick on the uptake, aren't you? And so proper too, Mr. Whom."

          "That's what they say." Cayde smirks.

          "Well, this was my first casualty. The first who wouldn't be able to come back anyway. She was one of the Vanguard, a Warlock. We were on mission together, for good reason, since she was the most powerful Warlock anyone had ever really seen."

          "Like Osiris?"

          "Who?"

          "Right, I forgot that you were off-world for a lot longer than  _someone_ said you were."

          "Wash, isn't it? I heard you talking to him earlier about tracking me down."

          "Yep." Cayde is quiet for a few moments. "So, how did she die?"

          "She jumped out in front of a servitor blast while her Ghost was out in the open. She went down, and a dreg shot her Ghost. She bled out in my arms. That's the one thing that I've never forgotten, no matter how or where I died. So when I wake up, I make another mark on my wrist to remind me of why I live the way I do. I'm pretty sure that I come out mostly the same in every life. I'm not completely sure, no Exo really is, but I've never felt like I'm missing much."

          Cayde hums. "I must not have anything to remember. I get glimpses sometimes of places I've never been, or people that I don't think I know, but somehow I do."

          Shiro makes a quiet noise. "Here."

          Cayde turns and sees that Shiro is offering him a deck of cards. He reaches out cautiously to take the worn cards and holds them lightly in one hand. 

          "Card tricks and the like have a certain rhythm. It might make it easier on you."

          Cayde pages through them, finding a set of initials on the back of a Joker. "These were hers, weren't they?" he says softly. 

          "She always had memory problems, too, but not quite like Exos do. Too many concussions, she'd say. Sometimes I think she just didn't want to remember."

          Cayde sighs heavily. "Sometimes I don't think I'd want to either."

          "Either you do or you don't, Cayde. You'll have to make your peace with it sooner or later. You'll probably never remember everything, but if you can get some things down, you'll feel a bit better next time you come back."

          "I think I'll give it a whirl. Though I'm not plannin' on dying anytime soon."

          "Dying or no, it might help. I've shuffled those cards for years and nothing's ever come of it, but you're not me."

          Cayde pulls the queen of hearts out of the deck. "Queen of hearts." he says quietly. "Before the Collapse."

          Something jolts into place in his brain and he flinches. Shiro doesn't seem to notice.

          "You gonna try to get me back to the Tower?"

          "No. I'm not a fan a making people do things they don't want to do."

          "Sounds good to me. Not sure I'll ever go back there." Shiro huffs, crossing his arms and stretching out over the branch.

          "You did manage to make the Speaker mad."

          "He was asking for it."

          "Whatever you say, Shiro. Whatever you say." he chuckles, sighing and reclining in the tree.


	5. Locating

          Cayde wakes up feeling like all the oil has run to his head. He groans, coming around slowly. When he opens his eyes, the world is inverted and he gets a little dizzy.

          "Ugh, Wash?"

          "Here." he answers, sounding rather displeased.

          Cayde tries to move, but finds that his arms are pinned to his sides and his feet are tied together at the ankles. He squirms, trying to get loose.

          "Wash, where are you?"

          "I'm hovering behind you."

          "What happened?"

          "You fell asleep in the tree and then Shiro tied you up. He left a note."

          "Why not come and help me out here?" he grumbles, struggling against the rope. 

          "Because I'm a little tied up at the moment too."

          Cayde growls, thrashing. With a sharp twist, the ropes snap and Cayde yelps, hitting the ground hard. He groans, rolling onto his side. 

          "Found the note."

          _Cayde,_

_Follow me or don't. It's your choice, really. I have a feeling I'll be seeing you again soon anyways, but feel free to tag along.Though, if you do decide to hang out for awhile, you'll have to shape up. Heavy sleepers get killed pretty quickly. Liable to shoot you myself one day. Bring your pal Orion if you feel like it. He seems like a bit of a buzz-kill, but he might just keep your smart mouth in check._

_Gettin'out of here,_

_Shiro_

_P.S. I stole your rifle._

          Cayde huffs to himself. "Of course you did."

          "Um, Cayde? Still stuck up here."

          "Right." Cayde quickly folds the note and puts it in his pouch.

          He finds the deck of cards in there too. Climbing back up the tree, he pulls Wash free of a couple vines, wiping a bit of goo off of his fins. Cayde spins his tiny rotors a couple of times and lets Wash lifts off of his hand. 

          "You good?"

          "I think so."

          "Cool. Now we find him." Cayde says, glancing around for any clues. 

          Wash only sighs and drifts through the trees. Cayde crouches down, picking at a small patch of leaves. They respond to his touch, leaning towards the heat. Cayde smiles.

          "Cayde?"

          "Yeah?"

          Wash clears his throat. "We're.. ahem, a little busy here."

          "Yeah, yeah. Just a minute."

          "Cayde, you always do this. Let's get a move on."

          Cayde rolls his eyes. "We have all day to catch up."

          "I was thinking about tracking Andal, actually."

          Cayde comes to attention at the name. "How?"

          "Well, Shiro is a tracker too, right? With two sets of hands, the search might go faster."

          Cayde laughs. "Don't tell me you're getting attached, Wash."

          "He did tie you upside-down from a tree."

          Cayde huffs, straightening. He follows Shiro's trail, sometimes wondering if the other Exo is trying to get him lost. At one point, Cayde loses the trail entirely, sighing heavily and sitting down on a rock just to think. 

          Shiro decided to stand on a sturdy building. He left an obvious trail, and then nothing at all. Cayde is certain this is all a game to him. 

          "Cayde, why are we chasing him?"

          Cayde shrugs, standing up and doing a full turn. He listens for any sign of Shiro and gunfire erupts nearby. "Wash."

          "Got it. Sparrow comin' right up."

          "Find me a secondary while you're at it." Cayde says, hopping onto the sparrow as it appears. 

          "How does a hand cannon sound?"

          "Sounds like another day in Hunter Heaven." 

          Once he reaches where the ruckus is, he leaps towards cover. Tracking shots arc after him and slam into his metal shelter. He peers out. He catches a glimpse of a yellow and orange cloak and his eyes widen. Shiro managed to get into a tangle with another guardian, it looks like.

          The other guardian pins him to the ground, blade at his neck. Cayde's eyes widen as he sees a familiar black cloak. He'd know it anywhere.

          Cayde jumps out at him. "Andal, stop!"

          He turns, energy swirling around him. While he's distracted, Shiro kicks him away, crawling to his feet. Andal turns on Cayde, not recognizing him in the moment and flies at him. Cayde grips his shoulders and they tumble to the ground. He pins Andal's arms across his chest and holds him down. 

          "Andal, it's me! Stop! Just stop! It's me! It's Cayde!"

          His struggles slow and the dangerous glint fades from his eyes. "Cayde?"

          "Yeah, it's me. Just calm down."

          Andal nods, the tension fading out of him. The energy swirling around him abates as well, small tempests of arc energy sinking into the ground. 

          "I'm gonna go ahead and guess you two know each other?" Shiro says, settled against an old car and holding his side. 

          "Yeah, um, Shiro, this is my mentor. Andal Brask."

          "I'd say it's a pleasure, but seeing as how you just tried to kill me, I think I'll pass on the formalities."

          Andal chuckles warmly, his hood falling down around his head. 

          Cayde frowns. "What were you doing, Andal?"

          "I was coming around the edge of a building when he tackled me." Andal gestures towards Shiro with his head. "Obviously, we fought. I won."

          Shiro is about to object, but Cayde silences him. "Andal, he doesn't have Light."

          The mirth fades from his eyes and he glances over at Shiro. "He's a guardian, isn't he?"

          Shiro lets out a sharp bark of laughter. "What's left of one."

          "Vanguard, Andal. Not guardian, Vanguard." Cayde says firmly. 

          Andal goes quiet. Cayde slowly moves off of him and Andal sits up, tugging his half-mask down. "The Vanguard are real? I mean, I've been looking, but there's no sign-"

          Cayde startles. "Wait, is that where you've been? You disappeared weeks ago without a trace, and that's where you've been? Why didn't you tell me?" 

          Andal ignores him. "What happened to your Light?" 

          "Have you ever heard of SIVA?" Shiro asks, sitting up.

          "Only recently. I was researching the Iron Lords. They were as close to the Vanguard as they come, but there were no records."

          "No, there wouldn't be. Even those who were Vanguard tried very hard to keep their identities concealed."

          "You make it sound as if there were a lot more than three." Cayde muses, suddenly more interested, though still a little miffed that Andal completely ignored him.

          "Three? You guys don't have Vanguard at the moment, but if you did there would only be three? That's the most ridiculous thing I've heard in quite a while. And believe me, being by myself for a little while, I've definitely heard my fair share."

          Andal tilts his head, his fluffy brown hair shifting. "By yourself? Where were you?"

          "Venus."

          "Venus? Why?"

          Shiro shifts uncomfortably and shrugs. "It wasn't exactly by choice."

          Cayde settles next to Andal, his arms on his knees. Andal asks him what he means and Shiro hesitates, opting for silence instead. 

          Cayde spares him a quick glance, but he can't get Shiro to look him in the eye. "Shiro was trapped in the caves below Venus' crust with a few other Vanguard members. With what I've gathered from this lovely conversation, I'd assume you were experimenting with SIVA? Or at least a premature strain of it?"

          Shiro says nothing, only nodding. 

          Andal catches Shiro's nervous gesture as he rubs at his wrist. "It got out." he says quietly. "It got out, didn't it?"

          Shiro nods again. "We trapped it before it could get very far, but-" he shakes his head, cutting off. "I'm the only survivor."

          "So, the Vanguard  _are_ dead?"

          "About ninety-nine percent of them, yeah."

          "But, why weren't you found? Couldn't the Traveler have-"

          "Andal." Cayde says quietly. "Sore subject." 

          Andal takes a second to actually look at Shiro. He's pretty much curled into himself now, his chin resting on his knees as he rocks back and forth. He looks like a boy who's just barely holding on.

          "Sorry, kid. Didn't mean to upset you."

          Shiro shakes his head. "It doesn't matter now."

          They sit there quietly for a few minutes, the silence a refuge for all three of them. Cayde only comes out of his stupor as rain starts to patter onto his arms. 

          "We'd better find a place to shelter." Cayde says. 

          "Why not just go back to the tower?" Andal asks, his brow furrowing.

          Cayde shakes his head. "We'd never get Shiro back there. He won't go."

          "He doesn't look like he's really going anywhere at the moment. Look."

          Cayde sees what he means, the growing puddle of oil on the ground flowing faster as the rain thins it out. "Shiro."

          "Yeah?"

          "We gotta move you. You're leaking oil pretty fast, buddy."

          Shiro nods, starting to get up. Cayde lurches to his feet to help him as he slips. Andal gets on his other side, though Shiro doesn't seem very comfortable with him there.

          "So." Andal says slowly. "Sorry for tryin' to kill you."

          "It wouldn't be the first time."

          Cayde laughs and they duck into an old building, laying Shiro out on the ground. Cayde quickly sets to work, having Andal help him patch Shiro's newly acquired leaks. 

          "If I had known-"

          "You didn't. It's fine, Andal, really."

          "For what it's worth, I hope you get your Light back somehow."

          "Thanks."

          Shiro curls up in the far corner to sleep, leaving Andal and Cayde sitting next to the door. 

          "He's staying where he can see us." Andal whispers drying his hair with his cape. 

          "No. Just where he can see the door." Cayde sighs, tilting his head back against the wall. "Where were you?"

          "A little bit of everywhere."

          "That's not an answer."

          "Cayde, it was dangerous."

          Cayde scowls. "Dangerous? I'm a robot. If anything, you with your fleshy human body could have died. Why wouldn't you tell me?"

          "Because I didn't want you involved. Is that what you want to hear?" he rakes a hand through his hair, frustration all over his face.

          "No. What I want to hear is what could have possibly been so important that you had to disappear. I didn't know what happened to you. You could have been dead, and I would never have known!"

          "Cayde, you don't understand."

          "Then explain it to me, because I really don't get it." 

          "Just calm down. Look at me."

          Cayde growls, deliberately turning his head away. 

          "Cayde."

          Cayde hunches his shoulders. He hates it when Andal does that. 

          Andal sighs at Cayde's stubbornness. "Cayde, I'm not going to beg you to forgive me, and I won't blame you for being angry either." he shakes his head, letting it thunk against the cement wall. "I didn't want to risk your life, and that's not because I thought you couldn't handle it. It's because I care."

          "And you think I don't? You could have been killed, Andal. You're the only father figure I've ever known and you could have died. I've been looking for you since you disappeared, and suddenly you just show up in the Cosmodrome? And now you won't even give me a straight answer?"

          Andal looks pained. "If I tell you, will you promise me something?"

          "What?"

          "Promise me you won't tell anyone what I found?"

          Cayde nods. "What was it?"

          "I think I might have revived a dead Vanguard's Ghost. It took off looking for it as soon as it was able."

          Cayde blinks. "You did what?!"


	6. Ties

          Andal rouses as the sun peaks in through to doorway. Cayde is still quiet under his arm, their most recent argument having left them further apart than before. Still, when Cayde had leaned over onto Andal's shoulder in his sleep, he hesitantly wrapped an arm around him.

          Shiro is still asleep over by the wall, his form exactly the way it had been when he'd gone to sleep. 

          Andal sits in silence, pondering over what might have happened if he had included Cayde in his search for the Vanguard. He remembers how he almost had his arm ripped off and he refuses to think about what might have happened to Cayde. 

          Andal still thinks there's a chance he's that stubborn old Warmind. With as old as Cayde is, it's definitely possible. He still doesn't want to think about what might have happened. 

          Ever so quietly, Andal hears footsteps nearby. They are obnoxiously loud as they get closer and Andal stiffens. His left hand slides to his sidearm and he pulls his arm off of Cayde. He crouches low, every part of him alert. 

          He's glad now that he slept closer to the door.

          As the intruder comes in, Andal keeps quiet, shifting around into his blind spot while still keeping low. His right hand goes for his knife. 

          He hopes that Shiro is just out of the way enough to keep from being seen. The intruder turns and the light casts a black shadow around him. Andal skitters out of the way. Just as he spots Cayde, Andal leaps, tackling him. The figure lets out a shout that wakes the two Exos in the room. Andal has him sorted before they get around to helping out, his blade at the intruder's neck.

          "Andal, wait!"

          He looks as Cayde speaks and a hard fist rams his jaw. He stumbles off to the side, a well aimed kick giving the man time to recover as Andal rolls with the blow.

          "Just wait! Stop!" Cayde shouts. 

          Andal sees Shiro scrambling back into a corner just as Cayde latches onto the hulking figure.

          "Stop." Cayde growls, furious.

          "Cayde-"

          "Would you please just look for a second?"

          The intruder looks and Andal recognizes Orion. He can tell the exact moment the Orion recognizes him too. He's less than pleased.

          Andal huffs, his hackles lowering. His frustration at being blindsided again is quieted by Cayde offering him a hand. Orion looks torn. Andal puts out a hand for him to shake after Cayde helps him to his feet. 

          Orion shakes it. "It's good to see you." His expression says otherwise. 

          "Likewise." Andal says, though he can still see Orion’s temper simmering just under his mask of calm. "Do you have something to say?"

          Orion smirks, looking down on Andal. Andal straightens, a glower dropping across his brow. He's not short by any means, the Titans just being giants in their own right, and he cuts an imposing figure, his warm brown eyes begging honesty from others.

          Cayde must catch the glint in his eyes, his metal hand quickly grabbing Andal's as he twirls his blade between his fingers.

          "Go on, Orion. Say it if you're going to." Andal coaxes.

          Orion hasn't liked Andal since the day they met. "I was just going to say how weird it must be for you to be back after you left the people who were depending on you."

          "Just tell it to me straight, Orion." Andal growls. 

          Cayde tugs him back. "It's not worth it. Please, don't fight."

          Orion’s expression is downcast as he realizes that Cayde is siding with Andal. Andal doesn't feel any victory is making Cayde choose between who to protect.

          "You're my best friend, Orion. I just don't want you to fight." Cayde says, his voice barely a whisper. 

          Andal loses all the tension in his body and sheathes his weapons at Cayde's plea. Orion doesn't look happy about it, but he does the same. 

          "Uh, guys, not that I don't like all this fighting, but something is up outside." Shiro says, making Orion jump as he makes his presence known.

          Andal turns, seeing a blinding flash of fire, and another. Cayde rushes to the door. 

          "I saw that before! Yesterday evening when I was looking for you." Cayde says quickly, all his senses directed towards the blast site.

          The four of them approach with caution, Andal keeping an eye on their six and flanks. 

          Shiro crouches down while Cayde walks the outer ring of the blast. Whatever left the charred crater is gone, though Andal is curious as to what it was.

          "A Warlock is leaving these behind." Shiro murmurs, moving at a crouch along the crusty surface.

          "The only solar Warlocks I've ever seen are the ones that resurrect. Are there different kinds?" Cayde asks, his attention drawn by Shiro's musings.

          "Yes and no. They aren't different kinds of Warlocks. They just harness their power in a different way."

          "How so?" 

          "Warlocks are all raw emotion. Vengeance is what drives resurrections while what drives the sword is rage."

          Andal nods along, still with his back to the group and his eyes on the perimeter. "That makes good sense."

          "Those who channel through rage oftentimes are more powerful." Shiro says, wincing as he moves a little awkwardly over a piece of debris.

          Andal still looks out around the area. "I think they're watching us."

          Orion huffs. "They who?"

          "Whoever left the crater, of course."

          "And you're sure of that.... how exactly?" Orion says, a smug nature to his voice.

          "Don't know exactly. Just know what is feels like to be watched." Andal says lowly, his fingers glossing over the handle of his knife. 

          Orion glances between the three of them before rolling his eyes. "Hunters."

          "It's a good instinct to have, Orion." Cayde says, peering out away from the site. 

          "Only because you refuse to carry a shield or wear armor. You're all crazy, Cayde."

          Cayde sighs, his energy seeming to drain right out of him. Andal glances at him worriedly. The Exo waves him off, only weary from their less than veiled arguing. 

          Finally, in his perusal of their surroundings, Andal catches a flash of motion. He takes off at a sprint, Cayde shouting in alarm and the two Hunters darting after him. He can see Cayde cutting between buildings off to his left and sends a prayer to the Travels the he catches up first. 

          Andal's eyes widen as something hurtles towards him. Shiro dives at him, pushing him out of the way and keeping him on his feet at the same time.

          "Just keep running!" Shiro says.

          Andal nods, a burst of agility flowing into his muscles. He's gaining on the Warlock, and whoever it is knows it. Just as they come around the bend, Andal spots Cayde leaping onto the Warlock. Andal is about to call to stop him when time seems to slow. 

          He can tell that Cayde gets a good look at the Warlock, though she is wearing a helmet. 

          Then a solar flare leaves her body. The blast sends Andal sprawling backwards and he slams into something solid. He feels his ribcage crush inwards, but the impact and the heat steals the breath from him.

          When he finally comes around, his Ghost, Reglan, is hovering over him. Andal groans, rolling to his feet. He gives himself a shake, pressing a hand to his forehead. Shiro is lying motionless on the ground next to him and Andal remembers his Lightless state.

          "Shiro?" 

          Shiro stirs. "Don't-" he cuts off, clutching his side. "Don't worry about me. Find Cayde."

          Andal turns, searching for him. Orion reaches him first as he finally catches up. 

          "Cayde!"

          Andal doesn't see Cayde's Ghost anywhere. He skids to his knees next to him, gently rolling him over.

          "Wash." Andal mutters. "Wash, it's safe to come out!"

          He can hear the little Ghost hovering nearby. "You're sure? You saw the- you saw the explosion."

          "I'm sure. Get him back on his feet."

          Wash complies and Cayde jolts back to wakefulness, coughing, though the action is useless as an Exo. Andal helps him to his feet, aided on his other side by Orion.

          "Cayde, what were you thinking?" Orion scolds. 

          Cayde glares at him. "I was thinking that I had her."

          Andal ignores that part where he almost got himself killed. That's not the part he cares about. "Did you get a look at her?"

          Cayde takes another couple of seconds to glare before nodding. "Yeah. Her helmet had a split in it, and something was wrong. Shes not in control. It's weird. For just a second, she looked at me and I thought she was going to say something. Then she just.... exploded."

          "What did she look like?"

          Cayde rubs his head. "Uh, she's a red-head. Blue eyes. I couldn't see much else."

          "That's fine. We'll just have to track her down again."

          "She's dangerous, Cayde! She almost killed everyone here." Orion growls. "Shiro is lucky to be alive!"

          Cayde pushes away from them. "She needs help. We can't leave her out here, and it's like you said. She's dangerous. She could hurt somebody else, and the sooner she gets help, the sooner it becomes safe for everyone else in the Cosmodrome."

          Orion tugs his helmet off and Andal shrugs. "I, for one, am with Cayde."

          Orion pinches his nose. "Fine, but we've got to be careful. We don't want to get anyone killed." his eyes skirt to Shiro briefly.

          Shiro's hand closes around his knife and he growls. "You won't have to worry about me."

          Andal raises an appeasing hand in Shiro's direction. "No one is saying you aren't capable, we just don't want to be the reason something happens. You're on your feet now, there's no point in getting angry."

          Shiro nods in Andal's direction with gratitude. "I can handle myself."

          Orion starts to shake his head, but Cayde punches his shoulder. "Would you stop worrying? It's a wonder the traveler didn't give you the power to bake or something with the way you turn into a doting grandmother."

          "Yeah, because that would be so helpful." Orion huffs. 

          Cayde crouches down to start picking up the Warlock's trail, despite her ability to float over ground. Even she would have to land at some point. Shiro finds a direction first and they all follow his lead. Orion would never admit it, but Andal thinks he might secretly be impressed. Now all that's left is for Andal to ignore the daggers being stared into his back. 

           _Maybe someday, he'll trust me._


	7. Recollection

          Shiro has led them right to her. Andal finds himself impressed, but not shocked. 

          She's sitting near a stream, around curled around her knees as she watches the fish. Cayde steps closer and her eyes flash, but she doesn't look at him. Andal wants to warn him to get back, but he doesn't want to risk disturbing her. 

          "I know you're there."

          Cayde chuckles nervously. "I know. You aren't going to kill me again, are you?"

          She shrugs. "Maybe." 

          Fiery wings spread on her back and Cayde holds his position. "That's not a very reassuring answer."

          "I don't have a better one." she says, tugging her helmet free.

          Cayde approaches with caution and sits down next to her. Andal holds his tongue, gritting his teeth at Cayde's lack of impulse control. 

          "You got a name?"

          She shrugs again. "Sure. Don't suppose you'd know it?"

          "Nope. I haven't got a clue."

          "Me neither."

          Cayde stares for a little bit. "Huh. Well, I'm Cayde. So... Sally?"

          She glares, a grenade forming in her hand in an unstable ball of light. She flings it hard into the river before something can happen. "That's terrible."

          "I don't suppose you think you're a Helga?"

          She sticks her tongue out at him. Andal grins, turning invisible as she casts a glance their way. He's already hidden, just like the others, but he just wants to be sure.

          "Amara?"

          "No."

          Cayde pauses for a little bit. "What about.... what about Kayleigh?"

          She stares at the fish in the lake. "I can be a Kayleigh."

          Cayde watches the water run by, tossing a small rock in just to watch the ripple be absorbed the current. "So, do you remember anything at all?"

          She shakes her head. "I woke up in an old field, covered in snow with a Ghost hovering over me."

          Cayde nods. "Yeah, that happens. You're just... wearing really old armor. I was wondering if you knew."

          Another head shake.

          "So, are you good?"

          At the reminder, her eyes flash orange and Cayde subtly scoots away. "I don't think so."

          "Do you know why?" Cayde asks.

          Before she can answer, solar energy starts to swirl around her hands and she pushes him away. Cayde stands and leans down to help her but she hits him again, sending him backwards. 

          "You have to go!"

          "Kayleigh-"

          "GO! All of you!"

          Cayde turns to run and gestures for all of them to do the same. Andal waits for him. Orion gets Shiro moving despite his protest that he can take care of himself. They're a safe distance away by the time Andal turns to go with Cayde as he rushes past. 

          There's an explosion and Andal thinks they might be safe at first, but he's wrong. The ground under his feet cracks and steam from the air burns at his back. There's a second impact and Andal is thrown to the ground. Cayde leaps over the top of him as the flames swallow them up. Looking out from where he's pinned to the ground, Andal doesn't think the other two are far enough away, the earth pulling away from itself as the fire breaks through it. 

          Cayde is talking to him, but Andal can't hear a word of it, his ears ringing as nausea sweeps through him.  _Robots._

          Andal can hardly breathe in the burning air and Cayde is still shouting something to him. When Andal doesn't respond, Cayde tugs on Andal's hood. He covers his mouth and nose with it and Andal wonders what possessed him to not wear his helmet. 

          The noise seems to last forever as the flames fly across his vision and he's nearly frozen at the amount of power coming from a single Warlock. When it clears, Andal wheezes as Cayde rolls him over, his lungs burning. He heals quickly, but the smell of smoke stays with him. Cayde helps him sit up. 

          "Are you okay?"

          "I'm fine." Andal says, crawling to his feet. "What about you?"

          "I'm a little singed, but other than that, I'm peachy. Man, I just cleaned all my armor, too."

          Andal shakes his head. "You did not."

          Cayde gasps in mock horror. "How did you know?!"

          "You've never cleaned anything in your life."

          Cayde chuckles. "Yeah, I guess that's true." he glances around. "Where's Shiro and Orion?"

          Andal shakes his head, straightening his hood. "I don't know."

          He takes a few steps, grass burnt to a fine crisp crunching under his boots. The small grove of trees is warped almost beyond recognition and Andal is almost tempted to go see if the stream is still there or if it was completely vaporized. 

          Cayde calls for the other two, following the crack in the ground. The sand on the beach looks smooth and Andal surveys the surrounding area. He spots Kayleigh.

          "Cayde." Andal says, moving closer with caution. "Kayleigh's over here."

          Cayde joins him and stands over Kayleigh, tipping her shoulders so they can see her face. "Kayleigh?"

          She groans. "Cayde?"

          "Yeah. We're fine. That was... pretty ridiculously scary."

          "Sorry. Where are your other friends?"

          "We haven't found them yet."

          She looks worried before heavy footsteps join them. " **I found them.** "

          Cayde jumps a foot in the air, swearing. "Lieutenant Zavala!"

          The Awoken Titan smirks, though he does a good job of hiding it. "What are you doing out here, Cayde?"

          "We're trying to help Kayleigh."

          "'We' being you, two other Hunters and a Titan?"

          Andal smiles, putting his hand out to shake. "I'm Andal."

          "Ah, the Hunter mentor. Saint 14 mentioned you once before."

          Andal tilts his head, hood sliding back. "Saint 14? What did he have to say?"

          Zavala nods. "You'd disappeared and he was helping Osiris look for you."

          "Good of him. I'm fine, by the way. Where are they?"

          Zavala's lips draw into a thin line before he shakes his head. "They disappeared too."

          "They can't just..." Andal frowns. "But what about you and Ikora?"

          "We're holding the Tower together as best we can, but since there's no Hunter mentor around, we had to come looking."

          "Sorry. Any clues as to where they went?"

          Zavala opens his mouth when Cayde clears his throat. "Hello, Mr. Big Shot Titan, we're kind of on a mission here. Where are Shiro and Orion?"

          "Unconscious, over in that small building. It was just outside the blast zone, it seems." Zavala says, a pointed look around the group as a silent demand to know what happened.

          " _Sorry._ "

          Zavala looks down at Kayleigh and offers her a hand. "Are you saying-"

          "Yep, all me. I'm Kayleigh, by the way."

          "Lieutenant Zavala." he says, a hint of awe in his tone. "It's good to meet you."

          "All the same."

          Solar energy swirls around her wrist and Zavala backs up a step. She takes a deep breath, shutting her eyes. Cayde rests a hand on her shoulder and Andal holds his tongue. If Cayde didn't think it was safe, he wouldn't have done it.

          "Hey, Zavala, you wouldn't happen to know anyone who could help Kayleigh with her power?"

          "No." he says, shaking his head. "I'm sorry. I will tell Ikora that all of you are safe and well."

          With that, he transmats out of the area. Andal glances towards the building that Zavala had indicated and looks back over at Cayde.

          "If he says they're safe, they're safe." 

          Andal nods. Cayde leads the way and Kayleigh sticks in the middle of them, Andal watching their six. When Cayde pushes the door open, he immediately crouches down next to Shiro. He gives his shoulders a shake and Andal kneels next to Orion. His armor is nearly black with ash and burns. 

          "Shiro." Cayde whispers, giving him another shake. 

          His eyes light up and a groan comes from his voice box. "Cayde?"

          "Yep. Right here, hotshot."

          Shiro chuckles. "Amanda calls me hotshot."

          Cayde nods, patting Shiro's shoulder as he reorients himself. "That's right. You're good, buddy."

          "Orion?"

          "Still out. Don't worry, he'll come around. Just take it easy."

          Shiro nods, shifting around to stand. Off-balance, Shiro staggers, bracing himself against the wall. He gives himself a shake. 

          "My equilibrium is off." Shiro says, reaching towards a small panel on his neck. "It's wedged shut."

          Cayde steadies him, helping him settle back onto the floor. Shiro raises a complaint, but Cayde silences him as he tugs on the small door. After wrestling with it for a few minutes, Cayde grumbles under his breath. He pulls out his combat knife and jiggles it into the small slot. Shiro doesn't move as Cayde works, getting a bit dizzy as he spins the small wheel. Water swishes inside his eardrum and he suppresses a shudder. 

          "You know...." Andal says slowly. "There is Osiris. He's supposed to be the most powerful Warlock that has ever lived. If we can find him, we may be able to help you."

          "But Zavala said he disappeared." Cayde points out. 

          Andal shrugs. "So did I. I made my way back."

          "You still haven't told me exactly where."

          Andal gives him a sad smile. "I can't. I told you all that I could, Cayde. Promise."

          Cayde looks up from Shiro's level and stares at Andal for a long second before nodding. "Okay." he says softly.

          Kayleigh clears her throat and Cayde almost jumps. He always forgets that not everyone in the room is as close as Hunters usually get to be. 

          "Right, so this Osiris guy. Any clues on where he went?"

          "The only person who might have any idea is..." Andal breaks off, chuckling. "You aren't going to like this."

          "Out with it, Andal." Cayde huffs. "I'm sure it's not so bad."

          "It's Ikora."


End file.
